JAPANESE carmaker Suzuki pulled no punches on entering the fiercely competitive family hatchback market some four years ago.

It even called its new product the Liana, an acronym of Life In A New Age, as they prepared to take on the likes of Ford's top selling Focus, the Vauxhall Astra and Honda Civic.

The Liana remains radically different to what people have come to expect from Suzuki. It is a striking five-door hatch-back that, thanks to excellent packaging, makes it one of the most spacious models in its class.

Looks are pretty neat too with a back end which has a neat hatch and sporty appeal. Lift the wide tailgate and there's plenty of space inside, and it's easy to load, with a low floor height of 25 inches.

Tall styling makes for plenty of headroom inside a cabin which is actually bigger than it appears from the outside, with generous legroom front and rear. Comfortable seats, good all-round vision and an air of spaciousness combine to give the cabin a homely feel.

Things are a bit plasticky on the inside but Suzuki has made an effort to site the instruments in the right places. The sound system though, is fiddly to operate.

Two models are available, both powered by Suzuki's 1.6-litre, 16-valve all-alloy engine.

Good points: >Plenty of interior space, high level of standard kit, competitive price

Bad points: >Cheap plastics, road noise intrusion, lack of image

Recommended buy: >Liana GLX hatchback

Hyundai Accent: >The second generation Accent hatchback has been around since 2000 and while the company's five-year warranty will now be starting to run out, the good news is that the cars have proved reliable. Practical and decent value.

Kia Mentor: >Another to offer terrific value for money due to steep depreciation. Interior space is excellent and there's plenty of equipment but the styling is dated, interior flimsy and 1.6-litre engine feels sedate.